Go Against Tradition
by Lady Elizabeth of New York
Summary: AU Over the summer, Bellatrix, Narcissa and Andromeda find out from their parents that their husbands had been picked out for them. Bellatrix has an ongoing attraction with Professor Riddle. Andromeda finds herself torn when she falls for Ted Tonks. And Narcissa isn't sure who to listen to: her sisters or her parents. Will the three sisters stick together?
1. Chapter 1

It was a hot summer day, and the three sisters had decided to relax in the coolest room in their manor: the library. Bellatrix had come in to read, Andromeda had come in to study, but neither of them could do what they wanted, because Narcissa was gushing about Rodolphus Lestrange.

"He is so dashing," Narcissa giggled. "And so sophisticated and so charming." Bellatrix rolled her eyes behind her book. Sometimes she could hardly believe that Narcissa was her sister. Not only did she have blonde hair, she also was a hopeless romantic, while Bellatrix and Andromeda were more down to earth.

"Sounds like you're in love with Rodolphus Lestrange, Cissy," Andromeda remarked with a dry chuckle. Narcissa blushed.

"I just think he's handsome, that's all," Narcissa told her quietly.

"I think he's full of himself," Bellatrix commented hotly, putting her book down.

"Bella, don't say things like that," Narcissa scolded her sternly. Druella had often said that Bellatrix's tongue would get her in trouble someday, and Narcissa was never one to disagree with her parents.

Bellatrix gave her youngest sister a glare. "Oh, for Merlin's sake, he isn't here. You don't have to stand up for him," Bellatrix snapped.

"This wouldn't have to do with the fact that Rodolphus said that you were like a "mudblood servant", would it, Trixie?" Andromeda asked, with fake curiosity. Andromeda was the only person who dared called to Bellatrix, "Trixie".

Andromeda was referring to the incident at the ball, held by their parents the previous summer. Rodolphus had said this to Bellatrix after she had accidentally spilled her pumpkin juice all over him.

"I always thought he was full of himself. I just thought it more after his little comment," Bellatrix said annoyed. Andromeda snorted in disbelief. "That's very ladylike, Andy. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought you were taking etiquette lessons from Sirius."

Andromeda gave her a very sharp look. "Leave Sirius out of this," Andromeda hissed. Bellatrix rolled her eyes. Andromeda was overprotective of their trouble-making cousin. Bellatrix supposed it was because Sirius looked up to her in the same way that Regulus looked up to Narcissa.

"Girls, where are you?" Druella called. "Your father and I would like to see you in his study. Make sure you look presentable" She must have known that they were in the library, otherwise she would have sent Alky to fetch them instead of raising her voice.

"Do we look respectable?" Narcissa asked worriedly, running to the mirror and fixing the bow in her hair.

"We look fine," Bellatrix answered nonchalantly, as she straightened out her dress.

"Cissy, don't worry about it. We look like we always do, absolutely stunning," Andromeda assured her younger sister, pulling her away from the mirror and out of the library. Bellatrix followed them out.

"Speaking of people who are full of themselves..." Bellatrix muttered, just loud enough for Andromeda to hear her.

Andromeda sent her a nasty look over her shoulder. "Don't start with me, Trixie," she said in a teasing voice.

Bellatrix glared at her but said nothing, as they were now inside the study where their parents sat.

"There are my angels," Cygnus greeted them with a smile. Druella was practically beaming at them. That's what tipped Bellatrix off that something was wrong and from the look on Andromeda's face, so did she. While their parents were noticeably warmer than their aunt and uncle, Cygnus and Druella Black were rarely this cheerful unless it involved something that their daughters wouldn't like.

"What's going on, mother, father?" Bellatrix asked, swallowing, as she hoped that she didn't look as worried as she felt.

"Well, we have good news for you, my dear girls," Cygnus answered. "We have arranged your marriages."

Narcissa gasped in pain. Andromeda quickly took her hand off of Narcissa's shoulder having dug her nails nearly into Narcissa's collarbone.

"Our marriages," Andromeda repeated, her eyes wide. "Bella's only seventeen, I'm fifteen and Cissy is thirteen." Druella raised her eyebrow at her second oldest daughter. "With all due respect, I think we're a little young."

"Nonsense," Cygnus told her, stern even though his smile stayed on his face. "Of course, you three won't be getting married until you're out of Hogwarts. This is Bellatrix's last year so she will be getting married next summer."

Bellatrix felt angry. She didn't want to get married and she would have told them so if Andromeda hadn't grabbed her arm, seeing the angry look on her sister's face. Andromeda shook her head. Now wasn't the time for Bellatrix to lose her famous temper.

"Who are we getting married to?" Narcissa asked excitedly. Bellatrix closed her eyes to calm herself. How could her sister be so bloody excited about being forced into getting married? How could she even think that it was a good idea?

"We chose Lucius Malfoy for you, my sweet Cissy," Druella told her, smiling proudly at her daughter. "Rastaban Lestrange for Andromeda, and his brother for Bellatrix."

Bellatrix's eyes flew open and she gaped at her mother. That sodding prat was her fiancé. How could her parents do this to her? Bellatrix spun on her heel and walked out of her father's study before she lost her temper. Bellatrix didn't even care that her parents were shouting for her to come back.

She was to marry that arse. Well, she wasn't going to stand for this. She had a plan for her future, and she wasn't going to let Rodolphus Lestrange or her parents ruin it. She didn't want a husband. No man would ever get in Bellatrix Black's way.

* * *

Tom Riddle checked his watch. Professor Dumbledore was running late. Tom hoped he wouldn't be too long. He had pressing matters to attend to.

"Ah, Tom, there you are. Sorry to keep you waiting," Albus greeted him cheerfully as he hurried to the gargoyle. "Lemon drops." The gargoyle jumped to the side and allowed the two men to go up to Albus' office.

"It's been a long time, Professor," Tom remarked. "You're looking well."

"Thank you, Tom. You're looking good as well. But please, none of this "Professor" nonsense. I'm no longer your teacher, and I haven't been for a number of years," Albus told him kindly, motioning for Tom to sit down in front of his desk as he sat down behind it. "Now, I know you applied for the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching job six years ago. Unfortunately, Headmaster Dippet had already given that job to someone else. Well, Professor Jackson has retired, so I was wondering if you were still interested."

Tom smiled. "I would be delighted. Thank you very much. But may I ask why you're asking me? We didn't exactly part on the best of terms," Tom commented with a raised eyebrow.

"You're right to question my motives, Tom. I didn't trust you back then and I'm not sure I trust you now. But I do believe in giving second chances," Albus answered gently, extending his hand for Tom to shake.

Tom had a feeling that Albus wasn't telling him what had really made him change his mind, but he shook Albus' hand anyway.

"I look forward to working at Hogwarts," Tom said, meaning every word.


	2. Chapter 2

Narcissa smiled as she brushed her hair. She was humming a love song as she did so. Bellatrix wanted to smack her. She settled for snapping at her sister instead. "Would you please stop humming that ridiculous song?"

Narcissa put her brush down and walked over to her sister. She embraced Bellatrix much to the latter's annoyance. "Don't be cross, Bella. Mum said that you'll learn to love Rodolphus like the way she learned to love our dad."

Bellatrix didn't know how that was supposed to make her feel better. "It's not about love, Cissy," Bellatrix spat, throwing Narcissa's arms off of her. "I refuse to marry a man who I can't stand."

"It doesn't matter what we think. We don't have a choice in this matter," Andromeda said coldly as she kept her gaze outside the window. Bellatrix and Narcissa turned to look at her in surprise. While Andromeda wasn't as carefree and playful as their cousin, Sirius was, they had never heard her so cold and distant.

"Andy, what's wrong?" Narcissa asked her sister quietly, going over to sit next to Andromeda.

"She's clearly upset about having to marry that prat's vile brother," Bellatrix answered matter of factly. "Not that I can blame her."

"It doesn't matter what we think," Andromeda repeated herself bitterly. "We're just prized mares being sold to the highest bidder."

"Don't say that," Narcissa gasped. "Our parents love us far more then horses. They probably put a lot of thought into our matches."

"Let's make a pact," Bellatrix suggested. "No matter what our parents decide, no matter who we marry, we'll stick together. Sisters first. Let's swear to always be at each other's side."

Andromeda cracked her first genuine smile in days. She placed her hand on top of Bellatrix's hand. Narcissa hesitated before doing the same.

"We swear to stay together," Andromeda promised. "No one will come between us."

* * *

Sirius sneaked across the floor of his and Regulus' bedroom. It was an hour after midnight and everyone should be asleep, including that nosey house elf of theirs who would loved to get Sirius in trouble.

Just as Sirius opened the door a crack, light flooded the room. "Where are you going?" Regulus asked curiously, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Sirius sighed. There was no point in lying to his brother. Regulus had gotten less gullible over the years. Sirius supposed that's what happened when one lived with the best prankster in England. "I'm going to see Andy," Sirius explained. "Now turn that light off so I don't get caught."

"Why do you need to see Andy at this hour?" Regulus questioned suspiciously.

"None of your business," Sirius answered coolly.

Regulus gave him a smug look. "Do I have to get Mum?"

Sirius groaned. "Fine, I wanted to talk to her about her upcoming marriage," Sirius told him.

Regulus' eyes widened. "She's getting married!" Regulus exclaimed. Sirius shushed him. "Sorry. What do you mean she's getting married?" Regulus whispered.

"She's not getting married now, you dolt. Our Aunt and Uncle have arranged for her to get married when she turns seventeen," Sirius explained. "Just go back to sleep. If Mum, Dad and Kreacher come in before I get back, tell them I had a bad dream and wanted to talk to Andy about that."

"I'll try," Regulus replied, never being good at lying to his parents. Unfortunately, Sirius had no other choice but to trust him. It wasn't like he had a wand or was even allowed to obliverate him.

Regulus turned off the light and Sirius made his way to the living room, being careful not to wake the cranky house elf in the kitchen. Sirius grabbed a handful of floo powder, stepped in the fireplace and off her went to his Aunt and Uncle's house.

To his surprise, he found Andromeda was still awake. She was sitting in an armchair, staring at the dying embers of the fire. Her eyes widened when Sirius' appeared in the fireplace. "Sirius, what are you doing here?" she asked her young cousin, dusting him off.

"I wanted to talk to you," Sirius answered.

"And this couldn't have wait until morning?" Andromeda hissed, shooting a worried look up the stairs in case her parents heard them.

"I wanted to talk to you when everyone else was asleep. I overheard Mum and Dad talking about your marriage to one of the Lestrange boys," Sirius told her somberly.

Andromeda sighed. "Yep, I'm only fifteen and I'm engaged to a truly obnoxious man," Andromeda said dryly.

"Andy, what're you going to tell Ted?" Sirius asked, a little too loudly for Andromeda's liking. She quickly shushed him and cast another nervous glance over her sholder.

Sirius was the only one who knew about the muggleborn, Ted Tonks. Ted had started out as a tutor for Andromeda. But soon it became something more. Ted and she were in a secret relationship.

"You know it's funny you asked," Andromeda remarked. "I just received a letter from him yesterday. He wanted to know what I was doing this week. He wanted me to come visit him. I think he's tired of hiding our relationship. I just know he's going to hate me for this."

"What're you going to do, Andy, you can't marry that Lestrange man when you're already in love with Ted," Sirius commented.

"I know. I don't what I'm going to do." Andromeda bit her lip to hold back tears. Sirius quickly hugged her.

"You'll figure it out, cuz, you always do," Sirius assured her.

"I hope you're right," Andromeda said honestly.

* * *

A few weeks passed and summer was over. The three sisters boarded the train that would take them to Hogwarts.

"I'm going to go find Lucius and sit with him?" Narcissa told them as she checked her hair in her mirror.

"Why would you want to do that?" Bellatrix asked, giving her sister an odd look.

"Because he's my future fiancée, I want to get to know him," Narcissa answered with a smile. She bade her sisters' goodbye before going off to find Lucius' compartment.

"I bet he'll get annoyed by her in ten minutes," Bellatrix said to Andromeda with a chuckle.

"Trixie, don't be cruel," Andromeda warned sternly. "But ten galleons say he'll put up with her for twenty minutes." They shook hands and walked into an empty compartment. Or at least they thought it was empty. They spotted a man in his early thirties, reading a book.

"Oh so sorry," Andromeda apologized.

"Sorry about what? He's only one person, he can share," Bellatrix snapped, not willing to drag her bags to another compartment. She walked in and sat down adjacent to the man. The man chuckled and continued reading.

"Are you our new DADA professor?" Andromeda asked politely, as she sat down next to Bellatrix.

"What gave me away?" the man questioned dryly, not looking up from his book.

"She was trying to make conversation," Bellatrix said crossly, not liking his smug attitude. "And don't you know that it's rude to keep reading when someone is speaking to you?"

"It's also rude to interrupt a person when he's reading," the man shot back calmly. Bellatrix could almost see him smirking.

"Well it's obvious we're not welcome here. Let's go, Andy," Bellatrix huffed. As much as she loathed to let him win, even she knew better to fight with a professor.

"Now, now, I didn't say you weren't welcome here, Miss Black. My name is Tom Riddle and I'm quite pleased to meet you," Professor Riddle told her, putting his book down and extending his hand for them to shake. "I hear you're quite good at Defense Against the Dark Arts and I look forward to teaching you."

Bellatrix wasn't quite sure what to make of this man and his sudden change in attitude but she reluctantly shook his hand anyway, ignoring Andromeda's inquisitive look.


End file.
